Immersion apparatus for submarine boats.



I No. 834,161.. PATEfiTBD 00T. 2s,i90s.

- E. A. NILSBN. A

IMMERSION APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINB BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28,1905.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Emma V601 Q A (l/H01 mu i I wibneooao 3 SHEETSSHEET 2A I PATENTED 001 23, 1906.

- E. A. NILSEN.

IMMERSION APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1905.

w th 1 c 0900 No. 834.161. PATENTED OCT. 23, 1906.

i E. A. NILSBN.

IMMERSION APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINB BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28,1905.

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

J d Y fl/ Z7. clnvewtoz q/vitmeowo UNITED sTATEs-i PATENT OFFICE.

ERNST ALFRED NILSEN, OF CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I HALF TO BERNARD GRAFTON, OF; CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. IMMERSIQN APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE BOAT S.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application filed September 28, 1905. Serial No. 280.522-

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNST ALFRED N insEN, a subject of the Kingof Norway, re-

siding in the city of Cliristiania, in the Kingdom of Norway, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Immersion Apparatus for Submarine Boats; and I do here- ,by declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in submarine boats; and it consists more especially in providing an apparatus by means of which the boat may be brought to the desired depth and may be returned to the surface again, regardless of any ordinary accident v to the diving mechanism.

I have shown my invention as embodied in a double-ended submarine torpedo-boat but it will be obvious that it may be applied to boats of different construction and to submarine vessels generally other than torpedo vessels.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are incicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the boat. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section through the boat, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically the operation of the immersion-chambers and of the detachable keel. 'Fig. 5 shows a section along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, parts being omitted.

' Fig. 6 shows a section along the line 6 6 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, parts being shownin elevation. Fig. 7 is 40 the propellers; C, the steering-rudders; D D,

the div ng-rudders; E, the detachable keel; F F, the immersion-chambers, and G the motor.

. I andI' represent the forward and aft torpedo-launching tubes, and K and K represent the rotary magazine-drums for supplyscribed in my application of even date herewith, Serial No. 280,521, and entitled Improvements in torpedo boats.

The immersion apparatus herein described consists of three special features which coact to accomplish thesame desired result. These features comprise the diving-rudders and the means for operating the same the detachable keel and the means for detaching the same when desired, and the immersion-chambers and the means for regulating the amount of water ballast contained the same. These devices are shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 10.

Referring first to Figs. 4 and 6, F represents an immersionchamber, two being shown in Fig. 4. This immersion-chamber is preferably flattened on top, as at f in Fig. 6, and with the bottom in the form of a segment of a circle; but, if preferred, the immer f sion-chamber may be cylindrical in form.

Near the outer end of each immersion-chamber suitable openings f are provided, connecting the immersion-chamber with the water of flotation. Mounted in each immersionchamber is a piston F, which is screwthreaded to form a nut to engage the screwthreads f on the shaft F Where two of these immersion-chambers are cou led u tandem, as shown in Fig. 4,.this sha t F has right and left screw-threads on it, so that the 8 two pistons F may be moved out or drawn in simultaneously. This shaft F is rotated in any suitable way from the motor G by means of the crank F and the connectin rod F. It will be seen that rotating the sha t 0 in one direction will move thepistons F outward, forcing the water out of the immersionchambers, while moving the pistons in the opposite direction will allow the water to flow into the immersion-chambers, and thus 5 the weight of the boat may be increased or diminished, whereby the boat may be caused to sink or rise in the water, as desired. This action of the immersion-chambers may be supplemented by the diving-rudders D,

whose operation will be most clearly understood from reference to Figs. 2, 3, 9, and 10. These rudders are mounted in pairs on each side of the boat and aresimultaneously operated by means of the mechanism that will now 1 o 5 be describe Each ruddhr is fast on a short shaft journaled in theside of the boat and carrying on in'g torpedoes, the operation of which is de- 5 the inside of the boat the crank l), connected to the rod D -These two rods D one on each side of the boat, are connected together tated by one or the other of the handles (1 I stead of diving like a This block D travels between the curved guides at and (1, carried by the frame D",so that the cross-rod D will 'alwa s move arallel to the crankins d. It Wlll be obvious that by turning t e screw D in one direction or the other the divin -rudders D-"will be all set to rise or dive am i that the tendency of these rudders will be to cause'the boat to pursue a crab-like motion downward inorpoise. The boat is reierab y provided with a detachable keel of suflicient weight to give to the boat when cruising the required reserve buoyanc and no more, but which keel may be quick y detached should the boat s ring a leak or other emergency require that the boat rise promptly tct'he surface. The construction and o eration of this keel clearly in i s. 4, 5, 7, and 8, in which E rep-i resents the 'eel provided with a series of sockets e, having overhanging lips 6 throughout part of their length to engage the flange a, of the T-sha ed bottom pieces A, fast to the bottom 0 the boat, as shown most clearly in Fig. 8. M is resents a key which is carried on the shaft It and is turned by a worm-wheel i which meshes with the worm .N, turned by the bevel ears N and O and the shafts 0 and hand-w eels 0. There are two sets' of these bevel-gears and handwheels shown in Fig. 5, but a single handwheel with corresponding ears would be or- U boat keel dinarily sufficient. It wi be seen that by turning one of these hand-wheels O the key M may be so-turned as to push the keel forward, disengaging the lips e from the flanges a and allowin the keel to drop from the boat. This Wil immediately relieve the boat of a considerable weight and will make the romptly float to the surface. This not only serves to keep the boat in an 1] upright. position and to render her stable, but

a so serves as a safety device which in cases of'emergency may be detached and will allow the boat to prom tly rise to the surface. This and also b -filling or partly filling the immeraction of the kee in brin ing the boat down below the surface may oi course be supplemerited by the action of the diving-ru ers sion-cham ers, while the eiiect of detaching the keel may also be supplemented by einp tyin the immersion-chambers and by senting t e iving-rudders to the cause the boat to rise.

It will be obvious that various modifications in the herein-described ap aratus might be made which could be used without departposition tending to 3. An h fboats, comprising a plurality of diving-rudares ownmost iilg from the spirit of my invention.

see er mechanism 0 erated thereby for moving said cross-rod an thus simultaneously operating all of said diving-rudders, substantially as described.

2. An immersion apparatus for submarine boats, comprising diving-rudders, with means for operating the same, immersion-chambers with means for varying the su 1y of water admitted thereto, a detachali e weighted keel, with a key and worm gearin for 0 erating said key for releasing saidkeel w en desired, substantially as described.

immersion apparatus for submarine ders symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the boat, means for simultaneously operating these divin -rudders, immersionc embers with means or varying the supply of water admitted thereto, and a weig ted keel with a key and worm'gearing for operating said key for releasing said keel when desired, substantially as described.

4. In a submarine boat, the combination of a pluralit oi diving-rudders journaled in the hull of t e boat, and each rovided with a crank on the interior of the lull, connectingi-rods connecting pairs of cranks, a crossro connecting two oppositely-disposed connecting-rods, a block carried by said rod, a

screw engaging said block, and a hand-wheel for turnmg said screw thus moving said cross-rod and simultaneously operatmg all of said diving-rudders, substantially-as described.

5. In a submarine boat, the combination of a pluralit of diving-rudders journaled in the hull of t e boat, and each rovided with a crank on the interior of the .ull, connecting-rods connecting pairs of cranks, a crossrod connecting two'oppositel -disposed connectin -rods, a block carrie by saidcrossrod an provided with internal screw-threads, curved guides for said block, and a screw en gaging in said screw-threads, with means for turning said screw, substantially as described.

6. In a submarine boat, -the combination with a series of tenons attached to the .bot tom of the boat, of a keel detachably connected to said tenons, and a key operated from within the boat for moving said keel longitudinally and thus releasing it from engagement with said tenons, substantially as escribed.

7. In a submarine boat, the combination with a series of fasteningodevices attached to the bottom of the boat, of a keel detachably I unlock same in position when desired, and connected to said fastenin devices, gearing v hand-gearing operated from within the boat within the boat, and unloekin means 0 erated by said gearing for detaching said eel from,said-fasteners,substantially as described,

8. In a submarine boat, the combination with fasteners attached to the bottom of the boatyof a keel adapted to be detachably connected to said fasteners, a key. adapted to disro connect said keel from said fasteners, but to v for detaching said k'eel, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I. afiix my signature I 5 in presence of two witnesses.

ERNST ALFRED NILSEN.

Witnesses:

HENRY BORDEWIOH, MIOHAEL ALGER- 

